[Mike Barrio]

Fly fishing for Mackerel .......... could possibly be a lot of fun, anybody tried it?

[Steven Sinclair]

Fly fishing for Mackerel .......... could possibly be a lot of fun, anybody tried it?

I have and it is a good laugh! Finding them is the only tricky part, once you on top of them anything flashy will get nailed. There are a few marks south of Stonehaven that I have targeted them from the rocks but i'd imagine that life would be a lot easier from a boat.

 

Steven.

[Marc Fauvet]

i hear it's a blast, Mike. definitely something to put on the to-do list 

[Will Shaw]

Yep, great fun if you can get away with a 5 or 6wt.

Handy hint. If you want to release them do not touch them at all. Just grab the barbless hook and remove. Any handling at all seems to be the kiss of death.

W.

[Mike Barrio]

Anybody got any pics of their fly caught Mackerel? They are bonnie fish

[Colin Sunley]

I like the idea of this,  how do you go about this. I want to give this ago.
I assume you just don't go to any old beach and cast . Must be a boat job ???

Note to ones self ; read post above first 😁😁😁

[Marc Fauvet]

Any handling at all seems to be the kiss of death.

weird, specially for a salt fish. what's that about, Will ?

[Hamish Young]

Mackerel on fly are hysterically good fun, stick to a 6 weight (or lower), simple flies and a quick sinking line and they are just a hoot. Always thought poppers would be worth a try for mackerel but never got around to trying it.
I used to fly fish for them loads as young chap but I haven't for years - was actually thinking of nipping over to Cromarty or that general vicinity over the coming week to see if I couldn't persuade one or two to visit my smoker 

H

[Will Shaw]

weird, specially for a salt fish. what's that about, Will ?

Yeah I know. I got this info from Mike Ladle (of Operation Sea Angler and Bass fame) who had been asked to get some mackerel for a local sea-life centre. They kept kicking the bucket much to his dismay. The only way he could get them to survive was to not touch them and just shake them off the hook.

They don't die right away, but kick the bucket after a few hours/next day if I remember rightly.

W.

[Marc Fauvet]

thanks bro. strange they should be so fragile... 

[Rob Brownfield]

Something I used to do a fair bit of at Cove Harbour as the Macks will push Slid into the harbor mouth and its an easy cast to reach them.

It is also possible off Peterhead Harbour but hilariously funny trying to cast into the sea when it is 20 feet below you! The Macks here often are seen on the surface, with showers of Slid scattering across the top.

The touching thing is something that has raged for years on the Sea Forums.  Wet hands seems to be ok whilst dry hands "burn" the skin and the fish will often die some hours later.

[Allan Liddle]

Do it every year around the mouth of the Spey as the fish often come right onto the shore. #6 rod and white / silver lures and great fun.  You need to move quickly along the beach following the shoal.

They simply keep on fighting until you grab the hook, great on the smoker btw.

Also brazilliant fishing for them in Orkney an Shetland anytime I've been up that way late summer, usually a by catch when casing sea troot in the salt but no less welcome.  Had one time in Orkney when the seals had been driving them onto the beach and there was dead , dying mackerel everywhere and the sea was simply boiling with them.  If you threw one out the seals nailed it straight away.  Every cast produced a fish but very quickly the seals simply nailed 'em as you tried to get it in  That put a wee bend in a #6 

Not so bad when you know the feckers are there (seals I mean) but a shitter when one surfaces right beside you out the blue when yer tubin fur sea troot on Stenness Loch 

Might have some flee caught mackerel photies Mike, i'll look through the pics and if I find 'em i'll post on here